Recovery of salts and other products from oil field brines



March 7, 1933. o. v. MARTIN 47 RECOVERY or SALTS AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM OIL FIELD BRINES Filed April 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 wlm? s ear F/SC/WIPGE OTWDIfAMWHN INVENTOR 19/5 ATTORNEY March 7, 1933. o v MARTIN 1,900,247

RECOVERY OF SALTS AND OTHER PRODUCTS FROM OIL FIELD BRINES Filed April 6, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HA5 ATTORNEY 7 growth and thereby produce salt of uniform- Patented Mar. 7, 1933 uNlrsnfsrArss PANY, O'F TULSA, OKLAHOMA, A CORPORATION OFDELAWARE RECOVERY OF saws AND ornna rnonuc'rs FROM on. FIELD BRINES Applicationfiied' April 6,

This inventionrelates to. the treatmentof oil field brine or salt solutions for the 'recovery of salts or other products therefrom.

The invention contemplates a method of and apparatus for recovering salt from solu tions containing the salt comprising circulating the solution through a heat absorption.

and evaporation system forming supersaturated solution, maintaining the solution in a flowing body from which'the salt precipitated, moving a mass of the precip tated salt particles through the solution, and

successively obstructing and releasing the flow of solution overthe particle mass whereby relatively fine particles of salt are dis placed from the mass and maintained suspended in the solution to facilitateffurther 1y large particle size. This application'is a continuation-in-part of my co-pending application,Serial No. 475,270, filed' August 14, I

1930, for recovery of salts and other products I from oil field brines.

In my co-pending application, above referred to, I have described. a spray pond surmounted by an enclosure or chamber wherein warm brineis evaporated by exposure to the atmosphere in the formjof a fine spray." The spray concentrated brine collects in the bot;

tom of the tank throughwhich it flows'to a, sump at the dischargeend of the tank,fromf which point it is withdrawn. and, together with fresh brine, passed through suitable heating means and returned to the sprays. The salt particles precipitating from the sprayed liquid settle to the floor of the tank and are moved slowlythereoverby a drag moving countercurrentlyto the flowingbrine.

The particles of salt are depositedat the discharge end'of the tank from whichpoint theyare withdrawn. i The growth of salt crystals is'largely dependent upon the degree of contact maintained between super-saturated liquid andv precipitating salt particle's. That is, where a concentrated solution from which particles of salt are precipitating, remains in a sub-; stantially undisturbed condition, there may c be a preponderance of fine particles or crystals precipitated and their rate of growth 1932.; Serial No. 603,515.

is relatively slow. This isdue to the fact immediately adjacent to the precipitated material is in a state of less than super-satura- PATENT OFFICE OTTO V. MARTIN, OF TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ASSIGNOR T0 TEXACO SALT PRODUCTS OOH-- that a condition of equilibrium tends toprevail'wherein that portion, of the solution tion since salt has, of course, already been precipitatedtherefrom.' Since this portion of the liquid body is in a substantially quiescent condition, it prevents relatively more saturated portions or strata of the liquid body from making direct or intimate contact with the precipitated particles which latter might otherwise readilyserve as nuclei about which additional .salt could be precipitated. As a. result the final product may comprise. a pregrows in depth. Unless these fine particles are continually swept out of the mass and maintained suspended in the mother liquor, they remaln 1n themass and are removed from the system while remaining in a fine state. I

brine, thereby subjecting the particle mass to the ntermittent sweeping action of sudden liquid movements, the fine particles or crys-.

'tals are displacedfrom the mass andmaintainedsuspendedin the mother liquor. As a result 0t such continued contact with the mother liquor, the further growth of the fine .crystals is brought about. At the same time,

the mother liquor is subjected to agitation and turbulence whereby the freshly sprayed su persaturated liquid is broughtinto more in- In order to more clearly understand the in- I havefound. that byplacingbafiies at inq 'tervals along the tank which are adapted to alternately obstruct and release the flow of vention, reference will now be made to the l 'figures'of the accompanying drawings illus-[ trating a flow diagram together witha prei ferred embodiment of apparatus particulari 1y well adapted to carrying outmy improved Figure 8 illustrates the arrangement of the bafliing means within the tank portion of the 10 chamber.

In general, the arrangement and operation ofthe spray chamber is similar to that described in detail in my co-pending application above referred to. Referring to Figures 1 and 2, brine heated to a temperature usually substantially lower than its normal boiling temperature is conducted through a pipe-1 to aspray manifoldf 2 'withii'ithe spray chamberB wherein it'is exposed to the atmosphere in the formof a fine'spray by means of spray nozzles 4:. The ""sprayedtliquid falls to the bottom of the tank"5,'forming' the bottom portion of the spray chamber, to collect therein with a body of" fluid solution maintained therein and fromwhich particles of salt are precipitated.

The sprayed solution collecting in the de-' pressed 'part of the tank 5 is drawn "off through a pipe 6 and conducted to heating The excess mother liquor collecting in'the mass of growing salt crystals slowly over the floor of the tank from the depressed portion 40 ofthe tank. From this point-the crystals "are picked up by conveyor 10 and conducted to a" discharge chute '11 for further'reiining or other treatment;

Joafiles 12 with depending hinged sections 13, '*as shown'in moredetail in Figure 3; The trailingedges of these hinged sections are the'drag as they pass-thereunder.

m These baffles-tend to dam or obstruct the fiowofbrine-solutmn towards the sump end of the tank, particularly duringthe period when the trailing edges of these baffles'are' incontact: with the slowly moving c'ros's-memtivel'y large amounts means,'not shown, and from whlch 1t'1s 're-I turned, in a heated cond tion, through the orsump towards the crystal discharge end" v V I members of the drag;

adapted to engage the cross members 14 of velocity of liquid new" is tosubject the mass of saltparticles at that point to a further swepin actioiiwhich tends to sweep the relativelyidne particles out ofthe solidrnass ds p d m in th 'fi' h ysii a ed a d. super saturated solutionl ,This 2 action also;

" tends to carry the fine particlesback towards the rear of thetank for prol ong ed. contact with super-"saturated brine; thugs, as result ofsweeping these fine particles away he the, relativelyicoarser particle'sjfand; lnalil taining them in "more intimate contact with '90 supersaturated solution for prolonged period 'of time, their growth is promoted and the otherwise consequent 'ar old uction of rela-[j if ie mamas? sub? stantia'llyeliminated." f 1 The hinged 's'ctions of these bafflesmay be formed entirely frem metal or may be constructedpartly'fof .woodfaad ara or metal? to give them" suflieienp weight so that they y will always tend to as sume' a vertical'posi- 'J tion, while not in' cojiita'ct with the crossiiiem bers of'thedragj. Ad vantageo s y m aas also" provided to prevent these! ctions frgin swinging backward "past normal vertical position after disengagement withthe cross While the invention is" ate-mas well adapted to the rc'oyery of ordinary saltf rom "brines or "solutions it i's' equlally adaptableto At intervals along the tank 5 are spaced" L the preparatiori'ofbther compounds or mate-o rials whlch are'being precipitated solu tions containing them.

Obviously many modifications and varia tion'sfof th'e 'inventioh, as hereinbefore set the spirit and scope thereofland therefore only suchlimit'ations shouldbe imposed as? are indicated thefappend'e'd claims. 7 lclaii'nz' q 1. In the 'process'o'f preparing Salter uniforth, m be made without'fdeparting flfeinrf form' particle size from solutions containing the salt, the steps comprising i maintaining the solutionin a fiowing body from which the salt precipitatedfforming aigmass pr coarse and fine particles, slowly and contin countercurrently through "the, bodyfof solu-fjf tion, successively obstructing releasing thefiow of solution 'overjthe' particle nass,

mittent sweeping action of suddenly moving bodies of liquid to sweep out the fine particles and'maintain them suspended in the solution to effect further growth. a

2'. lhe process ofpreparing salt'ofuniform particle size from solutions containing the salt comprising heating the solution, exposing the heated solution to the air in the form of a fine spray to produce a supersaturated solution, maintaining the sprayed solution in a body from which the salt isprecipitated forming a mass of coarse and fine particles, slowly and continuously moving the. mass of precipitated salt countercurrently through the solution, successively obstruct ing and releasing the flow of solution over the particle mass, thereby subjecting the mass to the intermittent sweeping action of suddenlymoving bodies of liquid to sweep out the fine particles and maintain tl1em suspended in thesolution to effect further growth, and continuously removing salt particles of substantially uniform size.

3. In apparatus for the recovery of salts from solutions a tank adapted to maintain a flowing body of solution from which parti ,tion over the mass.

thereby intermittently obstruct and release solution, a spray chamber in which the sprayed solution is exposed to the atmosphere in the form of a fine spray to form a supersaturated solution, a tank in communication with the chamber adapted to collect the sprayed solution and maintain a substantial body of the solution flowing therethrough and from which salt is precipitated, a drag having cross-pieces attached thereto adapted to move the mass of precipitated salt over the floor of the tank countercurrently tothe flowing solution, baffles extending across the tankat intervalseach having a depending hinged portion the trailingedge of which engages the cross-members of the drag as they pass thereunder, and thereby intermittently obstructs and releasesthe flow of the solu- In witness whereof nature.

' OTTO V. MARTIN.

have afiixed my sigcles vof salt of non-uniform size are precipitated, means for slowly moving the precipitated particles over the floor of the tank countercurrently to the flowing solution, a plurality of bafl'les supported across the tank and interposed in the path of liquid flow adapted to intermittently obstruct said flow thereby subjecting the mass of particles to the sweeping action of sudden intermittent movements of the solution, to displace the relatively fine particles from the mass and malntain them suspended in the solution.

4. Inapparatus for the recovery of salts I from solutions a tank adapted to maintain a flowing body of solution from which particles of saltof non-uniform size are prec1 p1- tated, a drag havingcross-pieces attached H thereto adapted to move the mass of part1- I cles over the floor of said tank countercurrently to the flowing solution, depending hinged baflies supportedat intervals across the tank with their trailing edges adapted to engage the cross-members of the drag as they pass thereunder, and thereby intermittently obstruct and-release the flow of the solution over the mass.

5. In apparatus for the recovery of salts from solutions a tankadapted to maintain a flowing body of solution from which particles of salt of non-uniform siZe are precipitated, a drag having cross-members attached thereto adapted to move the mass of particles over the floor of said tank countercurrently to the flowing solution, baffles extending across the tank at intervals each having a depending hinged portion the trailing edge of which is adapted to engage the cross-mems bers. of the drag asthey pass thereunder, and

CERTIFICATE or coRREcTIoN.

Patent No. 1,900,247. March 7, 1933.

OTTO v. MARTIN.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 63, for "decreased" read "increased"; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 16th day of May; A. D. 1933.

M. J. Moore. (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

